What are the best tools for webmasters?

That question is very vague. To answer we will split that question in sections.

• What is a webmaster, and why do they need tools?
• What different webmaster tool categories are out there?
• What is better: using tools or coding by hand?
• Which to use: out of the box software or custom tools?
• Are paid webmaster tools better than free webmaster tools?

What is a webmaster?

Why do webmasters need tools?